free week

This Month’s Feature:

Walkabout is an annual nine-week health and wellbeing challenge that promotes regular exercise in social settings. Everyone at UBC is welcome to create teams of five or register as an individual. Cost is only $10 per person, and registration is now open. This is a great opportunity to achieve a personal or team fitness goal at the start of a new year! For more details, visit the UBC Walkabout website.

Other Events and Activities:

Sexual Assault Awareness Month is filled with events and messages that aim to raise awareness and understanding about sexual assault, and what we, as individuals and the UBC community, can do to help prevent it. Join the conversation and explore ways to become involved.

Participate in a Standing Desk Study

Many office workers spend a high proportion of their work day sitting, often in prolonged unbroken bouts. The Population Physical Activity Lab in the School of Kinesiology at UBC is conducting a workplace intervention aimed at reducing employee sitting time through the provision of a low-cost standing desk.

If you are interested in trying out a standing desk, aged 18-65 years old, and sit at a desk at least three days a week, then you are invited to participate.

This study involves wearing an activity monitor and completing a few surveys – three times over a six-month period. You will receive $60 for your participation and be offered the standing desk to keep.

It’s that wonderful time of the year when you can check out UBC Recreation classes – for free! Drop in for a fitness, yoga, Pilates, dance, martial arts, boot camp or aquatics class. No experience required. Try as many classes as you like, and register for your favourites!

Participate in an inspirational evening with Suquamish Elder and Master Basketmaker Ed Carriere and wet site archaeologist and ancient basketry researcher Dr. Dale R. Croes. Ed and Dale will present a richly illustrated talk about ancient basket making and invite visitors to interact with the ancient basket replicas they make.

This free symposium will provide opportunities to network and share research and resources related to teaching, learning and community building with a focus on first-year students at UBC. This event is supported by Student Development & Services, Irving K. Barber Learning Centre and the Centre for Teaching, Learning and Technology.

The Arts in Health Research community of practice aims to be a vibrant collegial space in which members share their work, engage with and learn from the approaches of others, discuss challenges and successes of their research, and explore emerging trends and innovations in arts-based methodologies. All researchers who are currently working at the intersection between the arts and health research are welcome to attend.

Reach out. Help is available. Reaching out early and preventing suicide requires everyone’s support. On Suicide Awareness Day, January 31, show your support for awareness and prevention. Visit ow.ly/bDae30gVnx4

On the first day of Move UBC month, you are invited to wear clothes that encourage you to move throughout your entire day. We want to see your lulu’s or your bright running shoes– anything that encourages you to move!

This Month’s Feature

This annual event is an opportunity for UBC staff to enjoy a complimentary lunch, live entertainment, information booths, and the camaraderie of colleagues. Registration has closed, but if you would like to attend, bring your UBC Card to the registration table on the day of the event. A limited number of wristbands are available on a first-come, first-served basis.

Still Here is a collection of photographs and art from queer people affected by suicide. Through their experience and willingness to tell their stories, Still Here participants are helping to raise awareness about depression and suicide in the queer community. Still Here is a project from the Men’s Health Research program at UBC’s School of Nursing with support from community organizations and donors.

September 11-16: UBC Bodyworks Free Class Trial

Staff, faculty and community members new to Bodyworks are invited to try any class at UBC Bodyworks Fitness Centre for free during the start of this month.

New and returning staff and faculty: this is your chance to try any instructor-led classes with UBC Recreation for free. Drop-in to fitness, yoga, Pilates, dance, martial arts, boot camps and aquatics classes . Try as many classes as you like, and register for your favourites!

Trees and green spaces promote health, but why is this so and how do we use this knowledge? Hosted by and featuring the research of UBC assistant professor Matilda van den Bosch, this presentation will outline pathways and mechanisms behind the health effects from urban natural environments.

This year’s Homecoming starts with fun activities around campus and concludes with the big game at Thunderbird Stadium. Break out the blue, get out your gold, celebrate the Thunderbirds and show your UBC pride with 10,000 of your closest friends.

September 19-December 19: Tuesday Yoga at MOA (5:15 p.m. – 6:15 p.m.)

Take part in a weekly, all levels Hatha/Flow yoga class in the beautiful grand hall of the Museum of Anthropology. Pay for the program, a 10-class pass or drop in. Please direct questions to jill.lindsay@ubc.ca at the hosting department (MOA) or payments to samanthaburkeyoga@gmail.com.

Get your friends and colleagues together for a night of food, art and culture. Enjoy a feast featuring fall favourites from the UBC Farm, followed by after-dinner entertainment at one of the many special shows and exhibits planned just for you at UBC’s world-class Arts and Culture District.

Next Month: United Way Community Campaign

The Great Pancake Race is a community-building, awareness-raising, kick-off event for UBC’s United Way campaign that promises flip-tastic fun for all. Gather your team of four together and vie for the coveted Pan Trophy.

Come out and support UBC’s annual United Way campaign. Enjoy a 2km run or walk + BBQ, bake sale and live music. Door prizes to be awarded as well as prizes for top finishers.. Who will take home the Turkey Trophy this year? If you are interested in volunteering for this event, please email Indiana Letkemann.

This Month’s Feature

Drop in to fitness, yoga, Pilates, dance, martial arts, boot camps and aquatics classes for free from May 23-29. No experience is required. Try as many classes as you like, and then register for your favourites!

Others Events and Activities

The Morris and Helen Belkin Art Gallery is pleased to present an exhibition of work by the 2017 graduates of the Master of Fine Arts program.

May 9: Weight Watchers at Work (UBC)

Join the upcoming 20-week Weight Watchers at Work program at the UBC Bookstore. Drop by on May 9 to register between 12 p.m. and 1 p.m. with no starter fees (other participant fees apply). See the program flyer for details.

Join the Wesbrook Village Running Room and Wesbrook Village in community, celebration and fun – supporting BC Women’s Hospital & Health Centre in its initiatives to help women in our community who bravely face mental health issues. Choose from 5K, 10K and walk/run options. Registration required.

The Vancouver Youth Symphony Orchestra will celebrate Canada’s 150th birthday in grand style, with a full program of Canadian works and guest artists at the Chan Centre. This is a family-friendly event. Please join our celebration and show your Canadian pride!

From May 29 – June 4, UBC will defend its title as reigning champion of the “Best Workplace (1000+ employees)” and “Best in Higher Education” categories during Bike to Work Week! Grab some co-workers, put together a team and get ready to ride. Make sure to visit our celebration event on June 1st from 4pm to 6pm to grab some treats, cycling resources, get a free tune up and register your bike with Project 529’s anti-bike theft system. For more information, and to register, visit the HUB website.

The Forward Food Summit brings together food-service professionals, industry leaders and others in a peer-to-peer environment to share insights into the latest trends for implementing and marketing plant-based menus. Click here for more details or to RSVP.

Drop in to fitness, yoga, Pilates, dance, martial arts, boot camps, and aquatics classes for free. No experience is required and all abilities can be accommodated. Try as many classes as you want, and register for your favourites!

This year’s Homecoming will feature a pep rally and BBQ, the Great Thunderbird Trek, and a street party concluding with the big game against the University of Regina Rams. Come out, cheer on your Thunderbirds and show your UBC pride.

Registration is open for UBC Movement Co. This free social club will get you moving in free, fun, and easy ways! Join your colleagues in walks, events, workshops and . Registrants will be eligible to win free Day of the Longboat participation. Information on all events can be found on the website. Register now!

Whether you’re trying to build your overall sense of wellbeing, reduce stress, make new friends, or reduce your risks of cancer or cardiovascular disease, walking can help you on your way. Join in for free lunch-time walks. Meeting place is the north-facing entrance of the SRC unless otherwise specified.

UBC’s largest mental health initiative is back and will run Oct.31-Nov. 4, 2016. Thrive is a university-wide initiative designed to promote building positive mental health for all students, faculty and staff. Interested in hosting an event or partnering this year? Register here. Stay tuned for more information, the events calendar, a photo contest and more!

The Great Pancake Race VIII: Oct. 11
A community-building, awareness-raising, kick-off event for UBC’s United Way campaign. Bring a great sense of humor, spirit and energy and get together over your lunch for a relay-race involving frying pans and flipping pancakes. Prizes to be won, including best costumes!

Turkey 2K Trot: Oct. 12 (Info TBA)

DAE and United Way – Stretch for a Cause: Oct.14
Join in another United Way Stretch for a Cause at the Robert H. Lee Alumni Centre. Get out of the office, stretch out, and be inspired about what United Way is doing in your community. What to bring? A yoga mat and donation to the United Way.

UBC based events and activities:

This May, the David Suzuki Foundation is challenging people around the world to join the 30×30 Challenge by spending 30 minutes a day in nature for 30 days. The goal: to reconnect human beings with nature for the sake of their health and mental wellbeing.

Bring a friend and join Bodyworks for a free trial of popular fitness classes! Come as many times as you like between May 2-7. Registration is also open for the Spring/Summer Term. Click here to view the spring 2016 brochure.

Do you work at or near VGH? Activate yourself this summer with lunchtime fitness classes. Taught by certified instructors and offered Tuesday and Thursday throughout the summer. Sign up for strength based full body workouts, combo yoga-pilates classes or both! (Cost: $230/32 classes; $120/16 classes; $85/10 drop-in classes)

UBC Recreation Free Week is a chance for staff, faculty, students and the general public to try out any instructor-led classes in the Student Recreation Centre and Ponderosa Commons Studio. Drop-in to fitness, yoga, pilates, dance, martial arts, and boot camps for free. No experience is required, so try the classes out and register for your favourites! Full listings available here.

Our health and our work are interdependent. In view of changing demographics, work and labour markets, and social contexts, the key challenges to be addressed in work and health research and practice will be discussed. Join Dr. Ute Bültmann, University of Groningen, Netherlands for this public talk.

Difficult conversations come with leadership positions, and being able to navigate such conversations effectively is crucial to both personal and organizational success. Explore the reasons for fear and discomfort and learn strategies to manage emotional conversations by blending the application of skills, tools, knowledge and self-awareness. (Cost: $275)

This fun and interactive workshop will get you ready for Bike to Work Week, providing useful tips for cyclists of all abilities, from new riders to those who already bike to work. Certified instructors will discuss bike safety scenarios, taking bikes on transit, route planning, what to wear/carry, and much more.

Pizza will be served, so invite your colleagues and register today! Register to sc.program@ubc.ca to reserve your space.

The UBC Staff Pension Plan (SPP) Pension Fair will be held from 11:30 a.m. to 1:15 p.m. on Wednesday, June 8 at the Robert H. Lee Alumni Centre. Whether you are new to UBC, or have been part of the Staff Pension Plan for years, the Pension Fair is a great opportunity for you to learn more about your pension plan and gain some pension knowledge. There will be a variety of information tables for members to visit and learn more about the Plan as well as other retirement benefits and services. Visit the SPP Pension Fair event website for details on the venue, information tables, what kinds of questions you may want to ask, and more. No need to register!